The suburbs of Moscow recede as
after five days we continue east towards Nizhny Novgorod. Moscow is well described by the host couple
we stayed with “a country within a country”.
Prices of property and basic commodities have risen beyond the means of
the average Russian, and while the job market is currently buoyant, there is a
growing air of apprehension about what Putin’s third term as President will
bring.

Allegations of corruption abound –
public officials from the police to the fire service and even health and safety
officials demand back-handers for such basic tasks as investigating crimes or
issuing restaurant licenses. So not
surprisingly the visible scores of police in every district of town are of no
comfort to the majority of Russian citizens.
Most seem to be of the view that to pay a fine or a bribe is far
preferable than to “enter the system” – a phrase that we hear frequently from
people we speak to. Anonymity and
conformity seem to be the order of the day for survival in modern day Russia –
characteristics which are exemplified by the grey and black hats &
overcoats which dominate the boulevards and subways. So much so, that even 20 years on after the
arrival of the host of western brands that invaded Russia, we still feel
conspicuous with our “European” style jackets and backpacks.

But we are not alone in standing
out in Moscow. The winter monochrome of
the city makes the brash opulence of the oligarchs all the more noticeable –
luxury cars abound, and seem to have carte blanche to park wherever they wish, their
owners perhaps among the winners of the post-soviet privatisation free-for-all.

After just five days, we become aware of a clear sense of paranoia among educated Muscovites. This is perhaps not surprising when viewed
against Russia’s historical backdrop.
Authority is rightly viewed with a resigned cynicism. Transitional moderates like Gorbachev and Yeltsin have given way to a hard line administration - one which under Putin remains
free of any real third party opposition. Too
many political analysts and journalists have already found themselves too far
“into the system”, and worse.

For us, as the mere holders of 30
day tourist visas, Moscow holds none of the ominous uncertainty that seems to
plague many of its residents. Rather it
presents itself as a huge sprawling city, not especially densely populated, but
heavy and grey and still with a distinctly soviet feel to much of its
architecture. As our hosts are at pains
to point out, the season does it no favours, but even they don’t feel that the
city is overly picturesque even at the best of times.

St Basil's Cathedral

Cathedral of Christ Our Saviour

Landmarks, such as St Basils Cathedral are stunning, and
even the much criticised Church of Christ Our Saviour, in our minds strikes an
attractive silhouette on the north side of the Moskva River. Rebuilt in 1997, after being demolished by
the soviets, it was intended to be a symbol of the new Russian era and greater
religious tolerance. Unfortunately, for
the majority of Muscovites, it is yet another manifestation of state
intervention – which the Russian Orthodox Church has not escaped. People
rightly question the independence of the Church and the State. Sadly, the one thing that most people seem to
agree on is that the Soviet era Swimming Pool that occupied the site after the
original church was destroyed, was more popular than the Church that replaced
it.

Monument to Peter 1

Another controversial monument is the Momument to Peter I. Originally bestowed with a figure of Columbus
and presented as a gift to the United States, it was rejected and had to be
adopted by its native Moscow. In an
attempt to render it a less incongruous addition to the Moscow skyline, the head
of Columbus was removed and replaced with that of Peter the Great. Ironically
the great Westerniser now faces forever east down the river, and away from his beloved St. Petersburg - the capital of Russia during his rule. So all-in-all a
very odd monument!

Gulag Museum - well worth the visit

In addition to the obvious
attractions, such as the Kremlin
& Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, one
of the most interesting museums we visited was the small and seemingly
under-appreciated Gulag Museum.There is generally a sense that Russia is still uncomfortable acknowledging the
persecution of many of its own people throughout much of the 20th Century.The Gulag
Museum and the excellent accompanying exhibition of soviet propaganda is an
admirable effort to address this.

Above all else, Moscow represents
for us a gateway - a gateway to the unimaginably vast expanse of Russia that
lies ahead of us. As we sit in the train
carriage watching endless miles of snow fields and forlorn looking towns unfold,
we start to get an impression of both the immensity of the journey that lies
ahead of us and the feat of human endeavor which made this great
trans-continental link possible.

The 0 km point from which the distance of the
Trans Siberian Train is worked out.

Our 2nd Class Seated carriage from
Moscow to Nizhny Novogrod

Looking at the map, Nizhny Novgorod
lies 6 hours east of Moscow, but barely registers on the scale of distance that
we have to cover to reach the Mongolian border.
Between here and there lie nearly 6,000 km of railroad and openness,
punctuated by some of the formative towns in Russia’s history. A quick calculation reveals that we will
spend 110 hours on the train before reaching our onward destination of Beijing,
and we look forward to seeing what experiences and stories will unfold along the
way.